X-Reality Museums: Unifying the Virtual and Real World Towards Realistic Virtual Museums

Interactive Display of Images in Digital Exhibition Halls under Artificial Intelligence and Mixed Reality Technology

The attractiveness of traditional exhibition halls to young people is gradually decreasing. Combining modern digital technology to improve the display effect of the exhibition hall can effectively enhance the effect of cultural publicity. This article introduces the technology of image interaction and mixed reality (MR) to improve the historical and cultural propaganda level of the Shaanxi exhibition hall. The advantages of MR technology in applying digital exhibition halls are theoretically expounded. A theoretical plan for Shaanxi history and culture-related display areas is designed using artificial intelligence combined with  MR  technology. In addition, the survey respondent's evaluation of the effect of the new exhibition hall is obtained using a questionnaire survey. The survey results show that 97% of people like the history and culture of Shaanxi but only 13% of the people say they know or know very well about the history and culture of Shaanxi. In addition, 60% of the tourists say they are satisfied with the cultural experience of Shaanxi, and only 27% of the tourists are very satisfied. Also, 96% of tourists are willing to experience Shaanxi's history and culture through digital exhibition halls, and 93% are willing to participate in cultural experience activities based on MR technology. The survey results prove that tourists are satisfied with the effect of the new exhibition hall. Tourists want to add a distinctive form of cultural experience to the exhibition hall. They are willing to accept digital exhibition halls incorporating MR technology and are very happy to participate in the exhibition method of image interaction. This shows that the use of image interactive display based on MR technology in the layout of the exhibition hall is recognized by people and has strong feasibility. This article has reference significance for the digital upgrade of the exhibition hall and the development of the cultural tourism industry.

Extended Reality for Smart Building Operation and Maintenance: A Review

The operation and maintenance (O&M) of buildings and infrastructure represent a strategic activity to ensure they perform as expected over time and to reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs at the urban and building scale. With the increasing diffusion of BIM, IoT devices, and AI, the future of O&M is represented by digital twin technology. To effectively take advantage of this digital revolution, thus enabling data-driven energy control, proactive maintenance, and predictive daily operations, it is vital that smart building management exploits the opportunities offered by the extended reality (XR) technologies. Nevertheless, in consideration of the novelty of XR in the AECO sector and its rapid and ongoing evolution, knowledge of the specific possibilities and the methods of integration into the building process workflow is still piecemeal and sparse. With the goal to bridge this gap, the article presents a thorough review of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies and applications for smart building operation and maintenance. After defining VR, AR, and MR, the article provides a detailed review that analyzes, categorizes, and summarizes state-of-the-art XR technologies and their possible applications for building O&M along with their relative advantages and disadvantages. The article concludes that the application of XR in building and city management is showing promising results in enhancing human performance in technical O&M tasks, in understanding and controlling the energy efficiency, comfort, and safety of building and infrastructures, and in supporting strategic decision making for the future smart city.

The Use of Mixed, Augmented and Virtual Reality in History of Art Teaching: A Case Study

The incorporation of mixed, virtual, and augmented reality into the educational context takes place in this study through the development of a 3D object shaped by the artistic expressions of the Church of the Annunciation in Seville. In a study of an experimental and exploratory nature with a single group, we worked with a total of 20 students enrolled in a Master’s degree, taught at Seville University, under the title of “Arte: idea y producción” (Art: idea and production). A questionnaire based on the “Technology Acceptance Model” (TAM) was used to ascertain the degree of acceptance that the utilized technology had created among students after their participation in the experience. Likewise, the questionnaire permitted understanding of the assessment made by students concerning the presented objects. Among the results obtained, it is noticeable that the participating students show a high level of acceptance of augmented and virtual reality technologies, alongside favorable attitudes towards their utilization and the intention to use them. It is worth highlighting as a significant conclusion that the exploratory study was performed within a real classroom situation, suggesting that both technologies can be applied in formal training environments.

Application of VR Technology to the Training of Paramedics

The virtual world has long been a focus not only of the gaming sphere, but also of the manufacturing and educational industries. The virtual world and its technology have many advantages, the basic ones being, for example, the use of experiential learning, with which the human brain can remember some things better and faster. It was due to the advantages of virtual reality technology that we decided to create an educational system on safety and health at work, and we focused on the healthcare segment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the cooperation of a professional consortium, we created an educational system for safety and health at work and carried out several extensive laboratory measurements, the results of which we followed up in practical measurements with medical staff. The created system is inherently unique and applicable and can be used across several industries. The article presents three basic types of scenarios as well as an evaluation of satisfaction with the proposed system from test participants, i.e., nurses.

Quality Requirements for Implementing Augmented Reality in Heritage Spaces: Teachers’ Perspective

As a consequence of the scarcity of studies of augmented reality (AR) in Spain, this study developed a questionnaire to evaluate teachers’ perceptions on the use of AR for heritage teaching (n = 347 teachers: n = 131 in-service/n = 216 in-training). The objectives were to: (1) identify teachers’ existing knowledge about AR; (2) evaluate educational strategies teachers value most in AR apps for teaching; (3) evaluate necessary AR functions; (4) determine desired technical and functional characteristics; and (5) compare any significant differences between the two groups. The results provide a contribution to the increasing implementation of AR apps in heritage education, which promotes the understanding, enjoyment, experience and knowledge of heritage. Heritage education is increasingly present in Spanish classrooms due to awareness of the country’s rich heritage, and AR is a good tool for understanding and linking society with its heritage. From the results, it is clear that, despite their desire for implementation, there is a lack of teacher training in applying AR; both subsamples pointed out the importance of humanising the explanations in AR apps with experts or actors who mediate heritage and value the ease of use of these apps, multifunctionality, low battery consumption, and use in the background. Significant differences suggest potentially greater educational commitment among active teachers who seek deep and meaningful learning, above the superficiality and enjoyment reported by teachers in training and, on the contrary, the value placed on technical and visual aspects, related to the high use of mobile devices.